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EXERCISE DOESN’T FIX THIS ILLNESS

Friday, October 6, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we explore whether vitamin C supplements are worth it, investigate a growing mystery illness, hear what Uganda’s ‘People’s President’ Bobi Wine has to say following house arrest ... and learn what “entre familia” means to one immigrant family.

A medical student who suffers from Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) checks her pulse with an oximeter while she lies on the couch in her apartment. For patients with POTS, intermittent heart-rate monitoring is a daily routine.

PHOTOGRAPH BY MAGALI DRUSCOVICH, REUTERS/REDUX

It’s a debilitating disorder affecting millions of people—and the estimated number of cases has doubled since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Symptoms include dizziness, fatigue, brain fog, and gastrointestinal disturbances.

The recommended treatment? It has been exercise. But many patients say symptoms worsen after exercise and can lead to major crashes.

WHAT IS HAPPENING?

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STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

Vitamin C is essential to powering your immune system—but experts say that supplements packed with huge doses of the nutrient are unlikely to help you ward off a cold or the flu.

PHOTOGRAPH BY REBECCA HALE, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

Are Vitamin C supplements overrated?

Uganda’s ‘People’s President’ Bobi Wine speaks out following house arrest

The hidden history of Jackie O's wedding dress

How New Zealand saved a flightless parrot from extinction

This university educated Indira Gandhi, J.R.R. Tolkien, Bill Clinton ... and lots and lots of murderers. Why so many?

Can the northern ocelot be saved?

Why the new COVID shot is a game-changer (and why the term ‘booster’ is obsolete)

Bras are older than you think—much older

Japan has started its second release of nuclear wastewater into the ocean. How worried should we be?

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

A migratory monarchs rests in Lurie Gardens, part of Chicago's Millenium Park. Citizen science data suggests the insect subspecies is more plentiful than thought.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JAIME ROJO

Contrary to popular belief: Monarch butterflies aren’t endangered, a decision that was recently made. This sounds like good news—but is it?

MORE ABOUT MONARCHS

WHEN GOTHIC BEGAN

Notre-Dame de Paris may be among the most well-known Gothic cathedrals in the world, but it was not the first cathedral to embrace this architectural style.

PHOTOGRAPH BY VALENTINE VERMEIL/REA/REDUX

The birth of the Gothic cathedral: Their characteristics are unmatched—intricate, grand, a blend of divine inspiration and human craftsmanship. Who was the Gothic mastermind behind the designs? (Above, Notre-Dame de Paris.)

PHOTO OF THE DAY

a collage of family photos

PHOTOGRAPH BY JON LOWENSTEIN

An American life: She sells elotes. He wields a leaf blower. But that’s at work—at the dinner table you must prove your worth in this family, which has been photographed by documentary journalist Jon Lowenstein over two decades. Acclaimed novelist Luis Alberto Urrea pulls up a chair for a birthday dinner—and even he has to pass the test.

PASS THE FOOD, PLEASE

Today’s soundtrack: Everything Is Gonna Be Alright, Bobi Wine

Happy Friday! This newsletter has been curated and edited by Jen Tse, Hannah Farrow, Nancy San Martín, Cameron Peters, and David Beard. We’d love to hear from you: [email protected].

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